Theme: "The Living End" - The last word is a living spot.
23A. 50 different ones were released over a 10-year period starting in 1999 : STATE QUARTERS
29A. Get no laughs, as a joke : FALL FLAT
35A. Brillo, for one : SCOURING PAD
48A. Archeological sites : FOSSIL DIGS. Getting this is a key in our theme set search. Not many * DIGS phrases to work with.
68A. Everywhere : ALL OVER THE PLACE
90A. Electronics chain : RADIOSHACK. The only one-word entry.
97A. It merged with Penguin in 2013 : RANDOM HOUSE
105A. Bed with bars : BABY CRIB. Lemonade's original clue. Sweet!
Reveal entry:
117A. Embroidery slogan, and an alternative title for this puzzle : HOME SWEET HOME
Jason
is Lemonade, our witty & hard-working Friday Sherpa since March
2010. This is his debut puzzle, and I'm so happy to be part of his
effort. Congratulations, Charlotte's grandpa!
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| Lemonade's granddaughter Charlotte |
Lemonade
originally came up with 4 phrases with 2 work places and 2 living spots
(PRESCRIPTION PAD (sorry for the typo earlier) & STUDIO APARTMENT). I proposed we narrow down to
living spaces only & tighten up the set with answers where the last
word has a non-living context (so out * APARTMENT phrases ) and use
"HOME SWEET HOME" as a reveal entry.
Lemonade
liked my suggestions, so together we worked out this current set. He
did not have Compiler at the time (now he does & happily works at
his own grids), so I filled the grid. He then did the most
time-consuming part of a Sunday puzzle: cluing.
I
knew how much he loves words and wordplay, but I was still amazed by
his creativity and brillance. You can see his original clues here. I changed a slightly few & submitted this final version. Just to add a new "Now-ness" & avoid duping previously used clues.
Today's title is Rich's. We had Lemonade's "Main Domain" in our submission.
Across:
1. Start bubbling, perhaps : BOIL
5. 2004 Grey Goose acquirer : BACARDI. Also owns Dewar's, favorite of Irish Miss.
12. Feels a strong need (for) : STARVES
19. Wise leader? : OTHER. Otherwise. Lemonade's creation, of course!
21. Red-hot : ON A TEAR
22. Fancy-sounding bedroom piece : ARMOIRE
25. Paper in a frame : DIPLOMA
26. New England swimmer : COD
27. Clucks of disapproval : TUTS
28. Brew choice : ALE. Lemonade's son (left) brews his own beer.
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| Lemonade & Montana, Denver, 2013 |
30. Final Four org. : NCAA
32. Salinger title 13-year-old : ESME. "For Esmé - With Love and Squalor".
34. Two-time U.S. Open winner Trevino : LEE. He talks 150 miles/hour.
41. Baja bear: OSA
43. California nine, in sports crawl lines : LAA. Los Angeles Angels.
46. Brest milk : LAIT
47. Forum talk was in it : LATIN
52. Include : ADD IN
54. Chocolate Mr. : GOODBAR. Never had it.
56. Slide subjects : AMOEBAS
57. King Minos, e.g. : CRETAN
59. Sochi no : NYET. Now Sochi has become a past.
60. Guidelines : CRITERIA
61. Mauna __ : KEA
62. Number of hills di Roma : SETTE. 7.
65. Enjoy Olive Garden, say : EAT OUT
67. Dancer Sally with just a few fans? : RAND. Rich polished a bit of Lemonade's lovely clue.
71. City on Utah Lake : OREM
74. Trap setter, when it works : SNARER
75. Deal with : SEE TO
76. Yosemite Sam's "Scram!" : GIT
79. OneStep 600 producer : POLAROID
81. -y to the max : IEST. Very bad. And I know it. Just could not get better fill here.
83. Break indicator : EM DASH
85. It may involve pasting : EDITING
86. Back : ENDORSE
89. Ball queen : BELLE. I can picture Yellowrocks dancing away in her college days.
92. One of the Allman Brothers : DUANE
94. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper : CLEM
95. Wheel spinner's buy : AN "E"
96. However, briefly : THO
99. Short smoke? : CIG. Anon-T uses e-cig.
102. Pharaoh's cross : ANKH
104. Criticize : CARP
109. Wall St. locale : NYC
111. Lummoxes : APES
113. Faux __ : PAS
116. Thoroughbred ancestor : ARABIAN
120. Mortgage feature? : SILENT T. I made a change to Lemonade's "Castle feature" since I saw the "Castle" clue in another puzzle.
121. Built : ERECTED. Isn't this lovely? Splynter built it.
122. Swiss calculus pioneer : EULER
123. Do stuff : HAIR GEL
124. 2002 Adam Sandler role : MR DEEDS
125. "Lohengrin" heroine : ELSA
Down:
1. Slender-necked pear : BOSC. Have any of you tried Asian pears? Very juicy. Pricey too. I only buy one at a time.
2. "The Simpsons" bus driver : OTTO. Gimme for D-Otto! Was the tax season over for you?
3. "Who knew?" : I HAD NO IDEA
4. Court call : LET
5. Ring event : BOUT
6. Santa __: offshore winds : ANAS
7. Garage unit : CAR
8. "__ girl!" : ATTA
9. Pulled (in) : REELED
10. Challenges : DARES
11. Form letters? : IRS. Nice clue. Rich's creation.
12. Thompson of "Family" : SADA. I don't know why her name is so hard to remember.
13. Sound from a nest : TRILL
14. More than enough : AMPLE
15. Pocahontas' spouse : ROLFE (John)
16. Fretted fiddle : VIOL
17. Aunt with a "Cope Book" : ERMA
18. It's often reserved : SEAT
20. Pave over : RE-TAR
24. Bird in a covey : QUAIL.Quail eggs are quite popular in Southern China. I miss Guangzhou so so much.
29. Admit, with "up" : FESS
31. Make the grade : CUT IT
33. Secure with lines : MOOR
35. Play in a line : SLACK. I don't get this clue.
36. Leadership nucleus : CADRE
37. Badger : NAG
38. Classic muscle car : GTO
39. Trailblazer : PIONEER
40. Writer Rooney : ANDY. Can you imagine he blogged a crossword puzzle? He'd be kvetching all the time.
42. In most cases : AS A RULE
43. Many an October baby : LIBRA
44. "Encore!" : AGAIN
45. Syrian leader : ASSAD. Surprised he's still in power.
48. Palestinian political party : FATAH
49. Copy : IMITATE
50. Garage alternative : LOT
51. John on the farm : DEERE
53. Minnesota United FC org. : NASL (North American Soccer League). Holy Guacamole, Rich! Click here. Their stadium is not far from our home.
55. Visibly embarrassed : BEET RED
58. Wrestling holds : NELSONS
60. Deal : COPE
63. "West Side Story" duet : TONIGHT
64. Plug in the den? : TV AD. Nice "Plug" mislead.
66. Beta release, e.g. : TEST RUN
68. Maker of old strings : AMATI
69. Sign again : RE-INK. I'm always amazed by by the high pain threshold of those with tattoos.
70. Vanity item : COMB
71. Verdi creation : OPERA
72. Sometime ally of Godzilla : RODAN
73. Say somethin', say? : ELIDE
76. Collector of views : GALLUP POLL. Rich's clue.
77. Key chain : ISLES
78. Central idea : THEME
80. Where agua flows : RIO
82. Party supply : SODA
84. Martha Stewart Living topic : DECOR
86. Bus. course : ECON
87. Blue : SAD
88. "Microsoft sound" composer : ENO (Brian). He composed with his Mac.
91. Melville tyrant : AHAB
93. Roast host : EMCEE
97. Matched shirts and skirts? : RHYMED. Oh, I had "Like shirts and skirts" originally. Lovely 85A.
98. Waste creator : HASTE
99. __ Monday: post-Thanksgiving event : CYBER
100. Cupcake cover : ICING
101. Prepare, as Parmesan : GRATE
103. Big name in packaged soups : KNORR
105. Big party : BASH
106. Met solo : ARIA. Can you see "Met solo" on the windows? Steve our Foodie dined at their tapas restaurant.
107. Indonesian island on its own sea : BALI
108. Like LAX : INTL
110. Gospel singer Winans : CECE
111. Blown away : AWED
112. Anti-doping targets, briefly : PEDS (Performance-Enhancing Drugs). Glad Rich used this clue.
114. Iowa city : AMES
115. Evening at Lake Como : SERA
117. Shut (in) : HEM
118. Canonized mlle. : STE
119. Peach or cherry : HUE. Two of my favorite fruits.
C.C.
